Andy Reid may want to avoid it -- indeed, it is he that controls it most -- but the coach has himself a quarterback controversy after Michael Vick replaced an injured Kevin Kolb and nearly guided the Eagles past Green Bay Sunday.

Eagles have quarterback controversy

Jeff McLane

Posted:
Sunday, September 12, 2010, 11:07 PM

Andy Reid may want to avoid it -- indeed, it is he that controls it most -- but the coach has himself a quarterback controversy after Michael Vick replaced an injured Kevin Kolb and nearly guided the Eagles past Green Bay Sunday.

It is probably silly to suggest that the Eagles bench Kolb this early in his tenure as the starter. The Eagles changed the course of their history when they boldly traded away franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb and promoted Kolb in April. So it's unlikely to think Reid will abandon this path just because Kolb struggled in one half of play.

The 26-year-old Kolb also has two years left on his contract, while the 30-year-old Vick has one.

But Vick will likely get his opportunity to show that he's still a starter in this league when the Eagles play at Detroit next week and possibly the following week at Jacksonville. Kolb suffered a concussion in the second quarter, came back for one series and was pulled at the half. He will definitely sit out at least next week.

Vick, by the way, believes he's still a starter and raised some eyebrows with this quote he gave from the post-game podium seat Kolb was supposed to be sitting at:

"I still feel like I can play at a high level. I feel like if I had been out there for four quarters maybe we would have had a chance to win the game," Vick said. "But it's all hindsight now."

Reid, for the record, said Kolb is still his starter. But the young quarterback may test the coach's patience. He looked very tentative in the pocket. He completed just 5 of 10 passes for 24 yards with each completed pass coming underneath. When he did throw downfield he was nearly picked off three times. After the concussion he came back in and eyeballed DeSean Jackson for too long and was nearly intercepted by Clay Matthews.

"I'm going to take the responsibility for this," Reid said of Kolb's performance. "There were a few different things going on there. It wasn't just the quarterback or the offensive line. It was a combination of things. I'll make sure I go back and fix that."

Vick, on the other hand, was far from perfect. But he injected some energy into the sluggish offense with his dazzling runs, and he was fairly efficient passing the ball completing 16 of 24 passes.

"Honestly, I felt good when I was out there," Vick said. "I felt like I could play three or four more quarters. So that's a good thing. My legs [weren't] tired. I felt like I'm in shape, in great shape. I felt like I'm battling and that I fought and that I had the instinct and desire to win."

Love or hate him, discount him abilities as a quarterback or not, Vick was a long-time starter in this league. He knows how to the play the position.

The question for Reid, though, is whether he's willing to sacrifice a chance at winning to develop Kolb, and how long is he willing to stick with the young lad?

Like Kolb did a year ago when McNabb broke a rib in the first game of the season, Vick will likely have a one- or two-game audition. Will it be for the Eagles or for some other team looking for a starting quarterback next season?